Overview

• A peer-reviewed Science Advances study spanning 2,282 private providers in 253 towns found widespread antibiotic use for cases without bacterial signs.
• Among providers who knew antibiotics were inappropriate, 62% still prescribed them to standardized patients, highlighting a large know–do gap.
• Modeling indicated that closing the know–do gap could cut misuse by about 30 percentage points compared with roughly 6 points from improving knowledge alone.
• Expressed caregiver preference for ORS reduced inappropriate antibiotic use by 17 percentage points on average, with the largest effects in pharmacies.
• Trials showed no meaningful impact from removing point-of-sale incentives or supplying ORS, and caregiver surveys found no preference for antibiotic-giving providers.